Frontier Goes to Nicaragua: 2013

I WILL BE HOLDING AN INFORMATIONAL MEETING ON WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 20 AT 6PM IN THE SUNDERLAND LIBRARY COMMUNITY ROOM.

This is a chance for you to come and meet with me and some of the trip-goers from last year to ask questions and learn more about Amped for Education and the trip I am organizing for this summer. I want to be able to give you information and time to think before the money collection process begins and we start planning.

Please spread the word to anyone else that you think may be interested and show up with questions for me and the group!

It’s conservatively estimated by UNESCO that more than 100 million children under 12 years old have zero access to education. As an educator, this statistic is a humbling reminder of the privileges of US citizenship. It has also served as motivation to spread awareness to my family, friends and students. This motivation is materializing itself, again, as a trip to Central America this summer. It is my hope that others with a sense of adventure will take the opportunity to gain once-in-a-lifetime experience through service while developing a dynamic world-view. I plan to run a trip this summer with Frontier Regional community.

We will fly into Managua and spend the week thirty miles away in Nicaragua’s sixth largest city and cultural capital, Granada. While there, we will work with Amped for Education, an organization that was founded three years ago by my friend, and local teacher, Jeff Pluta. Last summer, our group had the opportunity to observe and volunteer in a public high school in San Ignacio, a rural barrio of 6,000 people a few miles from Granada. An important part of this experience was meeting and building relationships with international classmates, while gaining a greater understanding of what “going to school” means in a global context. Amped for Education is planning on breaking ground this winter for a new school outside of Granada.

Educational opportunities include, but are not limited to:

· A biology-oriented excursion through Nicaragua’s Las Isletas on Lake Nicaragua or on Masaya Volcano with students from the San Ignacio school.

· Opportunities to learn Spanish through immersion, as well as through lessons taught by a native speaker.

· Guided data analysis through looking at education and economic statistics of Central America.

· Learning what obstacles other students around the globe overcome to get to school through visiting and tutoring in a local school.

· Exploring poetry through visiting museums in Granada that celebrate famous Nicaraguan poet such as Ruben Dario.

· Take Spanish lessons at a local school.

· Journaling/blogging about social and cultural experiences while in-country.

In Nicaragua, the western hemisphere’s second poorest country, education is only compulsory until the sixth grade. With 500,000 primary-aged students outside of the formal education system, this law is nearly unenforceable because it cannot be implemented nationwide. Thus, any government money used toward education is typically spent to create elementary schools where children do not have access to one. With the belief that individuals need critical thinking and problem solving skills to better their society, Amped for Education focuses on creating opportunities for students to continue their education beyond the sixth grade, through the construction of schools and the partnering with the Nicaraguan Ministry of Education to operate them.

Since it’s founding in December 2009, Amped for Education has teamed with a local nonprofit organization in Nicaragua to identify communities with successful primary schools in areas where no secondary school exists. Together, they have completed construction of a high school that opened in February 2011. Students there have such a commitment to their education that they pledge to spend two extra hours each day (four days per week) for extra tutoring. Amped for Education not only focuses on constructing the school, but also ensuring the infrastructure produces the best possible graduates by subsidizing the teachers’ overtime pay, coordinating student sponsorships, and providing school supplies and books to the classrooms. The school is non-secular and certified local educators will teach a general curriculum. Local contractors completed construction with help from Jeff Pluta and Amped for Education volunteers from 2010-2011.

Since then, they have also completed “home makeover” projects. Many homes are made of scrap pieces of plastic, so Amped for Education plans to completely remake a home for a student with top attendance. Because families often would rather see their child in the streets working for the family, this incentivizes learning for students.

Last summer, Jeff Pluta and I led a group of local students and recent high school graduates to help raise the walls of two additional classrooms for the primary school that feeds the high school that was built the year before. As families in the community started to see the opportunity that the secondary school was providing, attendance in the primary school increased and new classrooms became necessary to accommodate for the increase. The trip that I am planning for the Frontier Regional community will be in conjunction with Jeff Pluta.

There are several things that parents should keep in mind when considering this unique opportunity:

This is NOT a school-sponsored trip. Although I am a teacher at Frontier Regional and many trip-goers may be students there, Frontier Regional has absolutely no connection to this organization or trip whatsoever.

The primary language in Nicaragua is Spanish. This is a great opportunity for all to be immersed in another language. Whether you study Spanish or not, everyone will certainly pick up some basic skills. While elementary Spanish and key phrases are sufficient for our purposes, the language should be noted. There are many people in Granada who speak English well. Depending on perspective, Spanish being the primary language could be hugely beneficial to the students, rather than a hindrance.

While Nicaragua is widely recognized as the safest country in Central America and it has the lowest violent crime rate of any country in Central or South America, the State Department recognizes some political divisions among its people and warns against Americans attending any political rallies in the country. Rest assured, we won’t be attending any political rallies!

Depending on how long we go, an 8-day trip would likely not cost more than $1,650 including flight, accommodations, meals, day excursions, and ground transportation. However, this number is subject to change. We will stay in dorm-style, hostel type accommodations. We are looking at the middle to end of August for our trip. The exact cost of the trip will be released in January at the very latest.

If you think this might be an opportunity worth seriously talking about, please feel free to be in touch with me by phone or email. Rather than answer individual questions, we’d like to get anyone who might be interested together to discuss more details of what this trip would look like. We are holding an informational meeting on November 20. Please kindly RSVP if you’d like to join to find out more about this opportunity!

Thanks,

Joe Costello

Joe.costello2@gmail.com

(508) 944-7917

Jeff Pluta

jeff@ampedforeducation.org

Hey!

Been a while, but I'll be seeing you soon enough.

I was talking with Jeff yesterday about Amped and our trip. Frank's video is very close to being finished. I saw a draft of it and it looks VERY cool. Also, Amped is in the process of developing a lot of other materials that will help facilitate trips like ours for other high school groups. Thank you all again for an amazing time and for blazing a trail into Central America.

The other reason I'm posting now is because The Recorder is interested in doing a "Back to School" type of story about our group and our experiences in Nicaragua. It has been almost 2 months since our trip and we have had the opportunity to gain a little bit of perspective since our return. As we all head back to the classroom, I'm sure the educational perspective we have gained will influence the way we approach this year. I agree with The Recorder that your community needs to know about the things you have been doing.

If you are interested in meeting with me and an editor from The Recorder at Frontier next week please let me know when you are available as soon as you can. I have not finalized a date and time yet. Their schedule is very open. I'm going to base what I tell them on how many of you I can get involved in this article, so please let me know. I will keep posting here with updates.

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